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Dawson

♂ Boy

Pronounced DAW-son /ˈdɔː.sən/High

Meaning: Son of Daw — Daw being a medieval short form of David, from Hebrew <em>Dawid</em> meaning 'beloved'High

In 30 seconds: An English surname meaning 'son of David,' linking it to the Hebrew for 'beloved.' Dawson gained first-name momentum from the TV series Dawson's Creek and belongs to the broad family of popular -son names.
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Origin HighEnglish
MeaningSon of Daw — Daw being a medieval short form of David, from Hebrew <em>Dawid</em> meaning 'beloved'
Peak year1999
Total births (all-time)≈ 35,384

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199918852017

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Dawson is an English patronymic surname meaning 'son of Daw.' Daw was a medieval English nickname for David, from the Hebrew Dawid meaning 'beloved' or 'friend.' Patronymic surnames formed with the -son suffix were common in medieval England and Scotland.

As a given name, Dawson has been used since at least the late 20th century and gained significant visibility through the TV series Dawson's Creek (1998–2003). It sits comfortably within the fashionable bracket of -son surname names alongside Mason, Jackson, and Hudson.

Did you know? Dawson's Creek (1998–2003) was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, though set in fictional Capeside, Massachusetts — the show's protagonist Dawson Leery helped keep this surname-name on parents' radar.

Variations

Davidson

Nicknames

DawsSonny

Famous Bearers

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If you like Dawson…

Mason— popular -son occupational surname name of the same generation
Hudson— geographical -son name equally fashionable in the 2010s
Tucker— punchy surname-as-first-name with the same rugged feel
Greyson— modern -son name with the same cool, surname-style appeal

Frequently Asked

What does the name Dawson mean?

Dawson is an English surname meaning 'son of Daw,' a medieval nickname for David, from Hebrew meaning 'beloved.'

How do you pronounce Dawson?

Dawson is pronounced DAW-son /ˈdɔː.sən/ — two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Dawson a boy or girl name?

Dawson is predominantly used as a boy's name.

How popular is Dawson?

Dawson has been in the U.S. top 200 boys' names since the 2000s, part of the popular -son name trend.